MathPlus's definitions

Otter Math

When locals’ and aliens’ mixed attitude vis-à-vis otters and their apparently manageable growing population on the “fine” city of Singapore provides a fertile ground for math educators to pose a number of brain-unfriendly questions to challenge exam-smart symbol-minded students.

Two otter math questions from a Singapore math problem solving book are:
1. At a recent otter attack at a church’s fish pond, five koi fish were swallowed up, while the remaining partially eaten fish were left with one or two eyes. From the 17 koi fish in the pond, the verger found only 16 eyes. How many koi fish lost only one eye?
2. On average, what percentage of fish in a pond get eaten by an otter family every time they terrorize a condominium located in some posh area of Singapore?

by MathPlus December 11, 2021

Boris Xmas Party

A Christmas party that was attended by some invited politicians and civil servants in a government building, when the country was under a lockdown, or under strict Covid rules—they needed to bring along their own spirits and snacks to avoid any suspicion of breaking the rules they had enacted for the nation to follow, if they were not attending the event virtually.

Guesstimate how many government officials in the UK took part in a Boris Xmas Party in 2020.

by MathPlus December 18, 2021

Corona-fetishism

When rogue politicians or unethical drug manufacturers are continually exaggerating the severity of the Covid-19 pandemic to hang on to power, or to profit from the oft-irrational fear of semi-informed citizens.

How many millions of people worldwide are subconsciously suffering from corona-fetishism, when power politics or profiteering has held them captive?

by MathPlus December 25, 2021

Bluster Shot

When a number of children are eager to get jabbed so that they could boast to their peers that they were vaccinated and that they would innocently be protected from all coronaviruses and their variants, with near-zero worry of any short- and long-term side effects considering their age and still-developing immune system.

Politicians and pharmaceutical companies are counting on bluster shots to further open up the economy, and to boost their profit, respectively, with little regard for potential long-term negative effects on the health or growth of millions of children, who have quasi-zero say in their vaccination choice.

by MathPlus December 27, 2021

Designer Vaccine

When profit-driven manufacturers would be launching a range of vaccines that aim to target specific Covid-19 variants, with varying pricing based on their infectivity, transmissivity, and mortality rates—for example, the vaccine for the more transmissible Omicron variant may cost less than the vaccine for the deadlier Delta variant.

With current booster shots proving to be semi-effective against Covid-19, manufacturers’ next creative move is to come up with designer vaccines to further boost their profitability.

by MathPlus January 25, 2022

so corona

A PC term for the 2019–2022 era, where the social trends have shifted: no more wearing of face masks, no more vaccines and boosters, no more social distancing and quarantine, and no more tracking and tracing—a temporary global relief from viruses and variants until the next deadlier pandemic shows up.

John: “You’re still wearing a mask in church?”
Mary: “You’re so corona!”

by MathPlus February 5, 2022

Covid Hostage

When a country’s “zero Covid” policy leads to more restrictions and bans on both locals and aliens, often creating irrational fear and panic buying among them due to a shortage of fresh produce in wet markets and of basic essentials in supermarkets, including the closure of religious sites and hair salons nationwide.

How long more would Communist China hold the people in Hong Kong under Covid hostage?

by MathPlus February 9, 2022